Disproportional representation of minorities in special education

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a brief exploration of the disproportional representation of African American students in special education with a focus on addressing racial bias in the identification process at the school level. Design/methodology/approach – This inquiry was conducted through a literature search of data and extant literature on school-level remedies to disproportional representation, particularly bias in the process of special education identification. Findings – While racial bias in any process remains difficult to expose, it cannot be eliminated as a contributing factor in the disproportional representation of African American students in special education. This review will acquaint the reader with competing explanations and proposed remedies. Originality/value – Critics have proposed that the disproportional representation of African American students in special education and in discipline statistics has become a way to segregate minority students, therefore an exploration of this practice merits concern.